Friday, March 28, 2008

Pretty fierce looking doors down on 10th Avenue near the book shop by Clement Moore Park.

More of the same.

We went to the Red Dot Fair at the Park South Hotel on Thursday.This is where I found this chandelier. Some of Robert's paintings were on show there.The whole hotel - three floors of it - was a warren of mini-art galleries for the week.Gallery owners who had come from foreign parts ( ie Berlin or San Francisco) were using the rooms as galleries during the day - but sleeping there at night.A novel idea.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

New York looks very gray here.Hiding behind the trees is the Chryselr Building. No more Empire State Building pictures!Bryant Park is very civilized these days - but chilly.

Yesterday was the first time I ever went into the New York Public library -well the main branch.It is most impressive and large and bold.

Monumental almost.I was terrifically impressed by the lights, the long hallways.The gift shop.The John Milton Exhibition.

Like Grant's Tomb (more of that in another blog) everything was oversized and heavily elegant.

After lunch L. and I had been to the Maplethorpe exhibition at the International Photography Center.Perhaps this shot of one of the Public Library's lion's posterior reflects too much Maplethorpe........

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

So much to see.Here the train tracks run down Broadway and makes cool reflections.

On the front of the Jewish Theological Seminary there is a sculpture presumably referring to Abraham and Isaac in the Bible.However, one wishes our particular (political) Bush had been consumed - or at least would stop blighting our lives.

Elegant brownstones seen against the backdrop of City College.The 'poor man's Harvard'.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

I was going up to 116th Street and Columbia University to meet Paz.We had a plan to take photos and see all the sights of Harlem.Took the C train from 23rd St.to 116th - however, since I wasn't paying attention and didn't change to the #1, I got to 116th all right - only it was just down in a dip.

So I had a bracing, energetic walk up grandiose steps through Morningside Park.

I met a man walking four splendid, energetic dogs.The only drawback of such an endeavor is the rather large bag of dog poop.The dogs were very friendly but eager to be off.

Monday, March 17, 2008

On 24th Street I came upon a lovely scene.The firetruck was parked and a little boy, his mother, and his sister, had all stopped to look.The fighter was very cheerful and friendly.But the little boy was shy.His mother showed the firefighter the little boy's t-shirt - a firetruckThe little boy's shoes - flashing lights - like a firetruck.On the side of this fire truck - and all the other firetrucks in New York -are painted the names of the members of this engine company who were killed on September 11th.Even after six years, seeing the names makes me cry.

Monday, March 10, 2008

On a cold Sunday we decided to walk from 23rd Street to Canal Street.Our destination was "Excellent Dumpling" - the best dumplings in town.This building - a little bit run down - is on Canal Street itself.It looks very Chinese.

This sign is on the corner of Lafayette and Canal - really cheerful looking.Note the American flag behind it.Lots of people are out on the street hustling handbags.It reminds me of Marrakech and I want to say "Blesh" - "It's not necessary."We realise we have learned the ins and outs of dealing with street vendors in Arabic rather well. not much intellectual conversation though.

In fact there are far too many people altogether on Canal Street.Everything is amazingly cheap - but mostly the sort of thing that you wouldn't want if it was given to you.For someone under the age of ten, it would be bliss.

Robert stands outside "Excellent Dumpling".Here you get the fastest of fast food.You sit at a table where the hot tea is already there in a metal pot.We order scallion pancakes and steamed vegetable dumplings and a Tsingtao beer which arrive almost as soon as the words are out of our mouths.Delicious. Best scallion pancakes in the universe.Excellent dumplings.We are handed our enormous bill - $10.36 -as we cram the last dumplings into our mouths.As soon as the plates are empty, they are whisked away.They make the service at McDonald's seem glacial.

It is early lunch time.The tables are full -Chinese people, tourists,every ethnicity on the planet.The servers are very busy and efficient.People are waiting in line to get in.We are back out on the street in less than half an hour.It's a great place and totally worth it.111 Lafyette St.